Clothes washing machine



J. B. KIRBY 2,046,901

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE July 7, 1936.

Filed May l0, 1929 l .In Vl! W n E 3`1 mm l "UIMM-lll'.-

lily i n i l July 7, 1936. J. B. KIRBY CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jamas B` Kir-b5 L I :D v e 17 1:'

Patented July 7, i936 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE by menne assignments,

to The Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporatlonot Ohio, al trustee Application May 10, 1929, Serial No. 362,000

5 Claims. (Cl. 'I4-81) This invention relates to clothes washing machines and has for its object the provision of a new, simple, and economical mechanism whereby the vigor and amplitude o! the washing action may be varied gradually all the way from zero to a maximum action oi great intensity; the provision of an operating mechanism for washing machines which is very simple and inexpensive, and b'y which the violence of the washing operation can be varied as desired without stopping the machine; the provision of a washing machine mechanism wherein a variation i' the stroke is employed in place of a clutch; while further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application I have illustrated certain simple physical forms in which my inventive idea can be embodied, although it will be understood that these are intended to be merely illustrative of the principles of my invention which may also be embodied in a great many other specific physical forms.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the line o! Fig. 2 showing part of a washing machine containing my improved mechanism; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of another form of mechanism containing my improvements; Fig. 4 illustrates part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, other parts being removed; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Figs. 6 and 7 are bottom plan views of still other mechanisms containing my improvements; Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional views taken on the lines| 8-8 and 9-9 respectively of Fig. '7; Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of yet another form of mechanism; Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional views corresponding to the lines II-II and |2|2 of Fig. 10.

The tub I may be of any suitable kind or shape and has a base-plate 2 to which the driving mechanism is attached. Carried centrally by this plate is a vertical bearing sleeve 3 in which is journaled a vertical shaft 40 which projects through the tub bottom, being provided at its lower end with a pinion 4 and at its upper end, inside the tub, with an agitator or dasher 5 of any suitable type.

Journaled on a vertical stud 6 carried by a bracket 1 at one side of the sleeve 3 is a gear wheel 8 meshing with a worm 9 carried by the horizontal shaft I0 of an electric motor Also pivoted on a vertical axis to a second bracket |2 at a distancefrom the bracket 1 is a rocker I3 to which is secured one end of a horizontal rod I4. Sleeved Slidably upon this rod is a yoke I3, said yoke being also pivoted to a stud I8 carried by the gear 8 eccentrically thereof. As the gear 8 is rotated, the rod I4 will be swung back and forth relative to the bracket I2 after the manner of a pendulum.

Slidably mounted on the rod I5 is a collar I1 to which is articulated one end of a toothed rack |8 meshing with the gear 4 and held in proper operative relation therewith in any suitable way l0 as by the rocking stirrup I9. The rocker I3 is preferably offset suillcientlyso that the collar I1 can be moved into line with the pivot axis at which time there is, of course, no reciprocation of the rack |8 and the washing action is wholly arrested. Suitable means are also provided such as the rod 20 pivoted to the collar I1 and fastened ,tov thefcontroblever 2| for sliding this collar along the rod I4 to vary the stroke of the rack between zero and a set maximum, any suitable sector 22 being provided for xing the position of the lever.

In Figs. 3 to 5, the pinion 4 meshes with an arcuate rack 24 pivoted to the bottom plate at 25, the radius arm of this rack being provided with a stud 26 journaled in a rectangular Ablock 21 which is Slidably received in the arcuate slot 28 formed in the curved lever 29. One end of this lever is articulated to a connecting rod 30 pivoted on the eccentric stud 3| lof the worm gear 8; the other end of said lever is articulated to a second lever 32 which is journaled to the same stud 1 which carries the worm gear 8. A adjusting rod 20 is connected to the same end of the lever 29 as is the arm 32, and leads to an adjusting lever 2|, enabling the lever 29 to be moved as shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. 4. The slot 28 is carried beneath the pivot of the arm 32 (see Fig. 5) in such a way as to enable the stud 26 to be brought into line with this pivot, at which time there is ofcourse no motion transmitted to the rack. Movement of the rack in the direction shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4 increases the action as desired.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another modiiication wherein the stud 6, wheel 8, worm 9, shaft I0 and motor appear as before, as also does the pinion 4 and rocker I3. In this embodiment, however, I have shown the rod I48L as directly articulated at one end to the stud I6 of the wheel 8, and having its opposite end Slidably received in the box 33 of the rocker. Meshing with the pinion 4 is a segmental rack 34, carried by a rod 35 .pivoted at 36 to the base plate.

Mounted on the rods I4 and 35 are the collars l1* and 31, respectively connected together by the link 88 which is pivoted to both-the collars and also connected by the links 36, 88 to the hand lever 2|. By pushing the two collars along their respective rods, the amount of stroke of the rack 34 can be varied from nothing'at all, (when the collars are in line with the pivot of the rocker i3) to a very substantial amount when the collar 31 is nearest to the pivot 36.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated yet another modification of my invention. In place of a rack and pinion I havel shown the dasher shaft as provided with a pulley 4* around which is wrapped a ilexible chain 4i having its ends fastened to a reciprocable bar I8* which is constrained to move in a ilxed path by means of a suitable guide 25. Slidably mounted on a horizontal rod 42 carried by the bottom plate of the machine and perpendicular the bar I8l is a collar 43 having two laterally extending arms 44 between whose extremities is pivoted the block 45 in which is slidably mounted the rocking lever 46. One end of this lever is slotted as shown at 41 for the reception of the stud I6 carried by the gear 8. While the opposite end of said lever is articulated to the bar I8. This last articulation is preferably accomplished by means of two bifurcated yokes, one carried by the bar I8* and having arms 49, 49 pivoted at 50 to the arms 5i, 6| of the other yoke which is carrier by the lever 46. In this way a recess is defined into which the block 45 can be moved by the action of the control lever 2| and control rod 20. 'I'he action of this control rod is to change directly the ratio of the lever arms whereby the stroke of the rack is varied from nothing at all to a predetermined maximum.

In Figs. 10 to 12 the mechanism comprises the same pinion 4, but the worm gear 8 is here provided with an eccentric 55 connected by means of a pitman 56 to one arm 51 of a bell crank lever whose other arm 58 is formed with a longitudinal slot 60. This bell crank lever is pivoted to a vertical stud 6l carried by a. bracket 62 located at the intersection of the two arms 51 and 58. Meshing with the pinion 4 is an arcuate rack 63 formed at one end of a slotted arm 64 pivoted at 65 to another bracket 66 on the base plate. The bell crank lever 58 is arranged to swing just above the arm 64 and parallel to the plate of that arm. Slidably mounted in the slot 60 is a block 61 and slidably mounted in the slot of 64 is a second block 68 the two blocks being fastened rotatably together by means of a pivot pin 69 passing through a washer 10 interposed between the two levers; and articulated to this pin is the adjusting rod 20 connected to the control lever 2|.

'I'he slot 60 runs past the pivot 6| as shown in Fig. 10 so that when the pivot pin 69 is brought into line with the pivot 6 I, no motion will be transmitted to the rack 63, although the bell crank lever oscillates through the same arc and at the same speed with all loads.

It is desirable in washing machines to vary the vigor of the washing action depending upon the nature of the articles being washed, the amount of liquid present and other conditions. This mechanism enables the intensity of the washing action to be gauged to the conditions required. It will be understood however, that a great many changes in detail can be made without departing from the scope of my inventive idea, and I do not limit myself in any wise except as speciilcally recited in my several claims which I desire may be construed broadly, each independently oflimitations contained in other claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a device of the type described, the combination with an oscillatably driven member of variable stroke driving mechanism therefor com- 5 prising, a motor, a speed reducing worm and worm gear set driven by said motor, a fulcrum lever pivoted for oscillation about a vertical axis, means eccentrically connecting said lever to said worm gear, a pivot bearing for said lever mounted 10 for adjustable movement in a horizontal plane,

a driving connection between said lever and said driven member comprising a member pivotally and slidably connected to said lever, and means including said pivot bearing for changing the po- 15 sition of the pivotal connection between said last i named member and lever relatively to the axis of said lever during the operation of said mechanism for varying the amplitude of stroke of said driven member.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination with an oscillatably driven member of variable stroke driving mechanism therefor comprising, a motor. a speed reducing worm and worm gear set driven by said motor, a fulcrum lever 25 pivoted for oscillation about a vertical axis. means eccentrically connecting said lever to said worm gear, a driving connection between said lever and said driven member comprising a member piv- 4 otally and slidably connected to said lever, and 30 means including an element pivoted at one end for movement about a vertical axis and pivotally connected at its other end to said lever for moving the position of the pivotal connection between said last named member and lever during the 35 operation of said mechanism for varying the amplitude of stroke of said driven member.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination with an oscillatably driven member of variable stroke driving mechanism therefor comprising, a motor, a speed reducing worm and worm gear set driven by said motor, a fulcrum lever pivoted for oscillation about a vertical axis, a pitman eccentrically and pivotally connected at one end to said worm gear and at its other end to said lever, a driving connection between said lever and said driven member comprising a member pivotally and slidably connected to said lever, and means including an element mounted for adjustable movement about said worm gear providing a pivot bearing for said lever for moving the position of the pivotal connection between said last named member and lever during the operation of said mechanism for varying the amplitude of stroke of said driven member.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination with an oscillatably driven member of variable stroke driving mechanism therefor comprising, a motor, a speed reducing worm and worm gear set driven by said motor, a fulcrum lever pivoted for oscillation about a vertical axis. a pitman eccentrically and pivotally connected at one end to said worm gear and at its other end to said lever, a gear pinion flxed on said driven member, a back-and-forth moving toothed member meshing with said pinion, pivotal and slidable connections between said toothed member and said lever, and means including an oscillatably adjustable link providing a pivot bearing at its free end for said lever for moving the position of the pivotal connection between said toothed member and lever during the operation of said mechanism for varying the amplitude of stroke of said driven member.

5. In a device of the type described, the commember and said lever, said connections being slidable with respect to both said toothed member and lever, and means including a link pivoted at one end for movement about the axis of said worm gear and providing `at its other end a pivot bearing for said lever for moving the position of the pivotal connection between said toothed member and lever during the operation of said mechanism for varying the amplitude of stroke of said driven member.

JAMES B. KIRBY. 

